About the farm
“From the moment I stepped onto the farm, I felt at home, but at home in some kind of magically pastoral place...” — Three Pines Farm Visitor
Three Pines Farm is a fifth-generation family farm, rich with history and beauty, nestled in the heart of the Cedar Valley of Iowa. The establishment of the farm dates back to 1856, when Norman and Jane Rundles, and their children, traveled by covered wagon from New York state, very fortunate to have the opportunity to seek a better life farming in the fertile land of the Midwest.
Norman and Jane are far from forgotten at Three Pines Farm, and our big red barn remains a lasting landmark of their time. The barn, which was built by Norman & Jane in 1866, is not only considered special for its size, style, and building techniques, but it is also responsible for giving this farm its name, Three Pines Farm.
Norman traveled to Wisconsin the winter of 1865, in the daunting effort to log the large amount of timber needed to build such a beautiful barn. Unexpectedly, though, this was a heartrending time for the family, as three of the young daughters passed away from a diphtheria epidemic while Norman was in the pine forests of Wisconsin. Norman was steadfast in spirit, despite this sad news. He completed the logging, and the large timbers were sent down to Iowa on the Mississippi River. After the logs were shipped from the river to the farm by rail, the barn raising began - with a strong foundation to see it through many years.
In remembrance of the three daughters who passed, along with his infant son several years before, Norman carefully carried four small pine saplings with him on his long journey from the forests of Wisconsin back to the farm. The four pines were tenderly planted near the barn, although one of the saplings did not survive the following winter.
Since those young days of the surviving saplings, this little farm has been lovingly known as Three Pines Farm, with togetherness, and the care that carries us through times of opportunity & hardship, at the heart of it all.
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In the fall of 2013, the stars unexpectedly aligned and Three Pines Farm welcomed my family and me (Kara), as it changed hands for the first time in forty-nine years. Leaving a career in the sciences behind, I was hopeful to bring a new chapter to life at Three Pines Farm, and sharing it with others. This journey of creation was met with heartwarming support from family, friends, and even strangers, and without that steadfast support, this sweet little place would most certainly not exist as it does now. Togetherness has remained a strong part of this farm, through all of the years, to today.
So now, many years down the road, but still at the heart of it all here at Three Pines Farm, we wish to cultivate & nurture connection, not only with slower ways of life characterized by the domestic, culinary, & fine arts, traditional crafting, mindful living, and agriculture, but with the community surrounding us as well. It would be a delight to have you join us at the farm for a hands-on workshop, private dinner & tour, overnight camp, farm animal experience, or maybe even for your own wedding or shower, with the hope that you find a peaceful slice of enrichment & restoration, warm & joyful memories, and maybe even some newfound skills in your time shared at Three Pines Farm.
OUR MISSION & GIVING
At Three Pines Farm, we remain true to our mission of building resilient community and inspired connection in all we do.
We are committed to giving back as much as possible to our community, in impactful ways that deeply align with our mission & values. Currently, we do that through two special programs. One, Goats Give, our own unique outreach program that provides nursing home residents with free baby goat therapy animal visits. And two, serving as a Partner in Education to Becker Elementary School in Waterloo, Iowa.
Three Pines Farm's educational programming is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization.